Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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236. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which adequate numbers of school places remain available to parents and school children at Moyvalley, County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30863/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, in order to plan for school place needs, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my Department's projections of school place requirements.

It is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not always be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:

• Duplication of applications
• School of choice
• Single sex schools
• External draw

Having considered the projected requirements in each school planning area, including the Longwood School Planning Area, my Department then makes an assessment of the existing capacity and identifies any requirement for additional provision. Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:

• Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
• Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
• Provision of a new school or schools.

Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.

My Department will continue to keep the school place requirements in Moyvalley, as with other areas across the country, under review.